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 Post subject: Diamond Simulant
PostPosted: Tue Nov 14, 2006 8:52 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:10 pm
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Location: Australia
These guys Gordon Max have had some publicity on a tv current affairs show here - they say they are selling a diamond simulant but that it isnt CZ, moissanite, synthetic diamond or white sapphire.

http://www.gordonmax.com.au/

What is this stuff really ??

They interviewed Gary Holloway who said it was just a CZ but they claimed it wasnt. Any ideas.

cheers

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www.aussiesapphire.com.au


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:45 pm 
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Hi Andrew -

They claim the hardness to be 8.9, so I dragged out my copy of Schumann's Gemstones of the World and checked his hardness chart and he lists:
Corundum 9
Alexandrite 8.5
Chrysoberyl 8.5
CZ 8.5
Djevalite 8 - 8.5 [a variant of CZ?]
Spinel 8
Taafeite 8
Topaz 8
YAG 8

While he mentions silicon carbide/moissanite under diamond simulants, he doesn't provide any useful info about it - but as I recall, its hardness is 9 something.

Hmmmmm...

Staying tuned,
Chris


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 Post subject: Re: Diamond Simulant
PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:14 pm 
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Location: Eastern Europe
Just thinking what industrial challenge is to develop a new diamond simulant, it sounds crazy to get one introduced through a retail channel, without any technical publication behind. The scenario just doesn't fit. Besides, it really is common to see CZ-with-a-label and promoters crossing their heart that their stones are solid moon-shine, LOL :lol:

At most, it may be one of the old sims, but doubt that... all that mass publicity for scarce goods doesn't make sense.


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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:31 pm 
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Location: North Carolina
beadiste,

Moissanite is hardness 9.25, though sometimes a bit more or less. This is the Charles & Colvert moissanite. I hear that some university has developed a different (non-patented) way to make the stuff. Don't know what it's hardness is. C&C make the stuff near me, but don't give samples.

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 Post subject: Could it be a hybrid?
PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:40 pm 
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I've seen two different versions of amorphous diamond coated materials marketed recently as simulants. One is white lab sapphire coated with a diamond film and the other is CZ with a similar coating. The CZ one goes by the trade name of Diamond Hybrid.

http://www.diamondhybrid.com/

They are apparently made by a vapor deposition process similar to that used to produce diamond coated surgical tools, etc.

Barbara

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PostPosted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:11 pm 
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Good one, Barbara -

And I see they describe their "diamond hybrid" as having a hardness of "approximately 9," and that it "perfectly mimics the diamond's crystal structure (face-centered cubic)" - so best guess is diamond film coated CZ?

Staying tuned,
Chris


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